29th year , No Arsenal stamp?

[Boris Badinov]

This subject came up elsewhere.

I've never encountered one. From the description the reciever has the serial number and the "56Type" designation but NO arsenal stamp.

Are these guns attributed to any particular arsenal? Perhaps a final /26\ run four years after Norinco took over?

Are these mixed parts guns assemble from various periods from 1956-84?

Anyone care to link or post some photos?

thanks,

Boris

[running-man]

They exist, but are far from common.

Unknown as to whether they were simply mistakenly not arsenal stamped or whether they were never intended to have an arsenal stamp.  Likley original builds.  There are some very nice ones in this 29 mil range.




Others exist too.  Early 70's guns as well nth year guns.  Some with the Chinese characters, some with 56式, some with nothing but the S/N.  The scrubbed and restamped guns are easy to pick out, these ones are harder.  Jury still out on them I think:




This one turned up with a member from Italy.  It's a very very nice firearm. 

[spongemonkey]

In the third to last pic, what does the "p" at the end of the serial number signify?

[Justin Hell]

In the third to last pic, what does the "p" at the end of the serial number signify?

The jury is still out on what those mean, common thought is that it was added around the time of importation to eliminate duplicate serials in the importers logs....as it seems, even if an AK was brought in with the same serial first...it messes up the books for the ATF and such.  Personally, I find this a little implausible, because a lot of these would have been imported before databases were in place to realize there was a duplicate....something....out there.  I kind of lean towards it being some other type of indicator we likely won't figure out...perhaps something akin to the city designations in Chinese characters on DP and DBs.   There are some with prefix letters, some like that with suffix letters. Nothing has really been nailed down as far as what they are, vs. what they might be.  They seem to be a little off in location to be done at the time the serial was stamped...just another one of those fun Chinese mysteries to wrap your noodle around.

[spongemonkey]

Thanks for that info Justin!   

[Loose}{Cannon]

In this particular circumstance, the P stands for Pootytang. 

[spongemonkey]

In this particular circumstance, the P stands for Pootytang.

Hurrah!  Lets all hear it for "Pootytang"!   

[Boris Badinov]

Thanks for posting the pics RM.

Those early 70's prefixed serials are interesting: One apparently very low output "arsenal" that possibly produced fewer than 999 guns in one year (1973). And the 10 digit serial (wtf?!) from 1975.

[Boris Badinov]

In this particular circumstance, the P stands for Pootytang.

hmmm...

I can't seem to find "Pootytang" on any of the importers lists.